Signature or paper-sheet separating apparatus.



No. 789,095. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. 0. A. JUENGST.

SIGNATURE OR PAPER SHEET SEPARATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.18, 1902.

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Nirn STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

SIGNATURE OR PAPER-SHEET SEPARATING APPARATUS- SPEGIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 789,095, dated May 2, 1905.

Original application filed July 18, 1900, Serial No. 24,017. Divided andthis application filed January 18, 1902. Serial No. 90,268.

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. J UENGST, acitizen of the United States, residing at Croton Falls, in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, have invented an Improvement inSignature or Paper-Sheet Separating Apparatus, of which the following isa speciiication.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 24,017,filed July 18, 1900, for Letters Patent for an improvement insignature-gathering machines.

My invention relates to apparatus for separating signatures or sheets ofpaper, and in carrying out the same I employ coacting devices forturning down a signature or sheet and removing the same, a support-plateupon which the signatures or sheets rest with one end thereofoverhanging the said supportplate, a guide-plate for the overhanging endof the signatures or sheets, and a support having a cutting edge andapoint adapted to carry the overhanging ends of said signatures orsheets and which as each signature or sheet is drawn down cuts a slit inthe edge thereof and simultaneously contacts with the next succeedingsignature and carries the overhanging ends of the remaining-signaturesor sheets, thereby preventing more than one signature or sheet beingtaken down at a time.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation and partial section of myimproved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of a signature or paper sheet,showinga slit cut-therein. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevationillustrating the knife-blade support. Fig. L is a front elevation of theguide-plate and parts associated therewith, and Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of the guidedate alone.

A represents a frame suitably mounted on a support A, secured to themachine in which the apparatus is employed.

B is a guide-plate secured by a suitable means to the frame A at A andis provided with a recess B in its lower edge and with a screw-threadedopening B immediately above said recess B. I employ a support D having acutting edge and terminating in a point D and provided with a slitthrough which a screw D passes and is received in the screwthreaded holeB and by means of which the said knifeblade support is secured to theguide-plate B and is vertically adjustable thereon.

A support-plate K for the signatures C is secured to the support Awithin the frame A in such a position that the ends of the signatures 0rsheets of paper that come against the guide-plate B extend beyond theedge of the support-plate K, and the knife-blade support D is adjustedto that position in which the point thereof will support centrally thatportion of the signatures or sheets of paper which extends beyond theedge of the supportplate K.

F represents a pneumatic sucker secured in one end of a bell-crank leverF, which latter is pivoted at J and adapted to' be actuated by acrank-arm J to swing the face of the sucker up into contact with thelowermost signature C, at which time the air is exhausted from thesucker by any suitable device through the tube F. In the return movementof the sucker the overhanging end of the lowermost signature is drawndown and the edge thereof is slit, as at 0 Fig. 2, by the knife-bladepassing through the same, permitting the next succeeding signature torest upon the point of the knife-blade support and preventing more thanone signafure or sheet of paper being drawn down at one time. After theend of a signature has been drawn down the vacuum in the sucker isbroken and the ingers or grippers A A are actuated, through the arm Aand rod A*, to grip the signature, remove the same from the pile, anddeposit it on a suitable receiver L.

It will be understood that the support-plate K may be provided with aconvex surface and also, if desirable, with the segmental recess, asshown and described in my copending application, Serial No. 90,270, forcurved plates for signatures and sheets of paper.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a machine for separating and removingone signature or sheet at a time from a pile of superimposed signaturesor sheets, the combination with a support-plate upon which thesignatures or sheets rest with a portion thereof overhanging, andcoacting devices successively engaging the lowermost signature or sheetand turning the same down preparatory to its removal, of means extendingbelow and beneath said overhanging portion of the signatures or sheetsand having a rising point or projection adapted to contact with thelowermost signature or sheet near one edge and support the overhangingportion of the mass of signatures or sheets, and which as each signatureor sheet is drawn down punctures and severs the same to its edge andsimultaneously contacts with the next succeeding signature or sheet forthe performance of the aforesaid supporting function.

2. In a machine for separating and removing one signature or sheet at atime from the pile of superimposed signatures or sheets, the combinationwith a support-plate upon which the signatures or sheets rest, with aportion thereof overhanging, and coacting devices successively engagingthe lowermost signature or sheet and turning the same down preparatoryto its removal, of a guide plate against which the edges of theoverhanging signatures or sheets contact, and means connected to andsupported by said guide-plate and extending below and beneath saidoverhanging portion of the signatures or sheets and having a risingpoint or projection adapted to contact with the lowermost signature orsheet near one edge and support the overhanging portion of the mass ofsignatures or sheets,

cessively engaging the lowermost signature or sheet and turning the samedown preparatory to its removal, of a guide-plate for the overhangingportion of said signatures or sheets and an adjustable support deviceextending below and beneath said overhanging portion of the signaturesor sheets and having a rising point or projection adapted to contactwith the lowermost signature or sheet near one edge and support theoverhanging portion of the mass of signatures or sheets, and which, aseach signature or sheet is drawn down punctures and severs the same toits edge and simultaneously contacts with the next succeeding signatureor sheet for the performance of said supporting function.

4. In a machine for separating and removing one signature or sheet at atime from a pile of superimposed signatures or sheets, the combinationwith a support-plate upon which'the signatures or sheets rest with aportion there-- of overhanging, and coacting devices successlvelyengaging the lowermost signature or sheet and turning the same downpreparatory to its removal, of means extending below and beneath saidoverhanging portion of the signatures or sheets and having a risingpoint or projection and adjacent cutting edge adapted to contact withthe lowermost signature or sheet near one edge and support theoverhanging portion of the mass of signatures or sheets,

and which as each signature or sheet is drawn combination with asupport-plate upon which the signatures or sheets rest, with a portionthereof overhanging, and coacting devices successively engaging thelowermost signature or sheet and turning the same down preparatory toits removal, of a guide-plate against which the edges of the overhangingsignatures or sheets contact, and means connected to and supported bysaid guide-plate and extending below and beneath said overhangingportion of the signatures or sheets and having a rising point orprojection and adjacent cutting edge adapted to contact with thelowermost signature or sheet near one edge and support the overhangingportion of the mass of signatures or sheets, and which, as eachsignature or sheet is drawn down punctures and severs the same to itsedge and simultaneously contacts with the next succeeding signature orsheet for the performance of the said supporting function.

6. In a machine for separating and removing one signature or sheet at atime from a pile of superimposed signatures or sheets, the combinationwith a support-plate upon which the signatures or sheets rest, with aportion thereof overhanging, and coacting devices successively engagingthe lowermost signature or sheet and turning the same down preparatoryto its removal, of a guide-plate for the overhanging portion of saidsignatures or sheets and an adjustable support device extending belowand beneath said overhanging portion of thesignatures or sheets andhaving a rising point or projection and adjacent cutting edge adapted tocontact with the lowermost signature or sheet near one edge and supportthe overhanging portion of the mass of signatures or sheets, and which,as one signature or sheet is drawn down punctures and severs the same toitsedge and simultaneously contacts with the next succeeding signatureor sheet for the performance of said supporting function.

Signed at Croton Falls, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYork, this 22d day of August, A. D. 1901.

CHARLES A. JUENGST.

Witnesses:

E. T. THoMAs, L. HENsEL.

